Christmas Joy
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: The baby has terrible timing and Skye goes into labor right as they're about to eat dinner but she and Ward end up with the best Christmas gift they've ever gotten.


**I don't own SHIELD and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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><p>Skye wasn't due for another week so she decided she'd enjoy one last baby-free holiday with her family – and a worried Ward agreed with her. "I just don't want you going into labor at the wrong time," he explained when she glared at him for his overprotective behavior yet again.<p>

"I won't," she reassured him. She knew it was in her husband's nature to worry but she was overloaded after eight straight months of this.

He cupped a hand on the swell of her abdomen and grinned before leaning down. "Hi, baby. Daddy respectfully requests that you stay in there until it's the right time to come out."

Skye laughed. "Why are you so dorky?"

Ward shrugged. "I don't know?" Some days he still couldn't believe she had given him a second chance after everything he had done but he was determined to make sure Skye didn't regret any of it. He couldn't live with himself if he hurt her or their family again.

She kissed him and then grabbed Ward's hand and led him over to the living room so they could watch one of the movies Trip picked out (they all got to choose and that ended any fights they might have had over what they watched). "How are you feeling?" a curious Trip questioned.

"Sick of people asking me that, Trip. I'm nine months pregnant and want this baby out of me. How do you think I feel?"

"Sorry I asked." Trip and Ward exchanged a knowing glance when Skye turned around to see what Jemma was doing.

They were about to sit down for dinner an hour and a half later when Skye's water broke. "Of course it did," she murmured. Since she knew that Ward was about to hit panic mode she struggled to remain calm and not freak out (Skye was only truly worried about the pain, not the baby itself).

"Are you okay?" May asked after setting down the bowl of mashed potatoes she had just finished.

"You look a little worried," observed Jemma. She hoped she hadn't messed something up when setting the table (she still hadn't lived down the last time).

Skye laughed nervously. "Uh, my water just broke. Sorry for this kid's shit timing."

Jemma squealed and ran off to find Ward to tell him about this predicament. Skye and May just stared at each other. "Okay then. Guess we're not going to eat dinner and we have to go to the hospital now. Or we can wait and eat? I totally want to eat!" But a contraction caught Skye off guard and she groaned at the unexpected pain.

"Fuck dinner, Skye. We'll just have someone put it away and eat it later, when all of us are here." May smiled warmly at her daughter and then went off to find someone into the base.

Ward practically flew into the room a few seconds later. "Jemma said you're in labor! We have to get you to the hospital."

Skye waddled up to him and rubbed her hand up and down Ward's arm to calm him down. "Babe, take a deep breath and please relax. This baby probably isn't coming out for a long time so there's no need to have a meltdown, okay?"

He nodded, already soothed by her actions. She was one of the few people able to calm him down when he panicked like this. Ward hated himself for it but they were all used to it now. "We're going to have a baby tonight, Skye," Ward whispered excitedly.

"Yeah, a little version of you is able to make her way into the world. You ready to meet her?"

Ward nodded just as May, Coulson, Trip, and FitzSimmons bolted into the room. They headed out to the hospital a few seconds later, Coulson in the driver's seat since Ward wouldn't be able to think straight to drive.

Fitz and Trip took a reluctant Ward down to the cafeteria to eat something while Coulson stayed with Skye. "You sure you don't want an epidural?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "You're just as bad as Ward is. I'm fine, Dad, really. The contractions haven't even hit their peak yet." And she groaned as another one rolled through her. She was grateful for the support when Coulson grabbed her hand in comfort and tried to talk her through it.

When it came time to push several hours later, everyone but May and Ward were kicked out of the room (nobody complained except for Jemma). And the three of them felt their world change forever the instant the baby let out her first cry. Ward felt like nothing would ever be upright again the minute his daughter was placed in his arms. "Hi, baby girl. It's nice to finally see you on the outside. I love you and Mommy so much, okay? You can come to me for anything."

Skye made grabby hands, and he deposited their daughter in her arms. "Hi you. What time was she born?" she asked one of the nurses.

The nurse smiled at the new parents. "Five minutes after midnight on December 25th. Congratulations to you two."

Skye and Ward looked at each other. "So she's a Christmas present."

"The best one we've ever gotten." Ward couldn't believe it. Christmas had been hell all his life (every holiday was) but this little girl had just ensured that it would be amazing from now on.

"So what are you naming her?" They had both forgotten about May in the aftermath of everything.

Ward startled a little but relaxed. "Go get the others in the waiting room and you can find out with them."

She scowled. "I hate you both," May muttered as she walked out of the delivery room.

"No Christmas-y names, I'm telling you that now." Skye didn't want to name her Noelle or anything like that because it was a little cliché.

"Agreed. What about that name we both really liked, though? The one we kept on our shortlist this entire time?"

Skye looked down at her wide-awake daughter. "Yeah, it fits her but we still need a middle name. And the rule still stands."

"Joy? I understand if you hate it but she has brought joy to both our lives." Ward couldn't get the name out of his head, and he also never wanted to leave either of their sides again.

Skye stared at her for a few seconds. "It works. So we have our name!"

"Yes we do." And that's when their family poured into the room to meet the newest member.

"I can't believe my granddaughter's finally here! I'm so glad she didn't wait a week." Coulson couldn't stop beaming.

"Will you please just tell us her name already? I can't take this suspense much longer!" Fitz stared at them and waited for the reveal.

"Tell us," Trip urged.

"She's here now so you have no right to keep it from us," Jemma tried. She just desperately needed to hear the baby's name.

Ward finally put them out of their misery. "Meet Aziza Joy Ward."

"We wanted a name that wasn't all that common, and we both thought it was pretty," explained Skye after she handed the baby back to Ward.

"It is. Perfect name for our granddaughter. You did good, and I am so proud of you, Skye." May patted her shoulder and waited patiently for her turn to hold Aziza (neither Skye nor Ward were willing to give her up and she couldn't blame them).

Ward passed the baby off to a waiting Fitz and then leaned down and kissed his wife. "Love you both more than I ever thought possible." He never thought he'd get to have a family who loved him but he was thankful every did he did.

"I love both of you too. Now kiss me again." He laughed but obliged.

Skye and Aziza went home two days later and were waited on hand and foot by Ward and the rest of their family (it was definitely an enjoyable experience). Ward grabbed a tiny baby hand when it poked out of her blanket and kissed it. "You liked moving around a lot when you were inside Mommy so this doesn't surprise me at all, Aziza." Aziza cooed and Ward knew he was fucked but he didn't care. "Yeah, I know."

Christmas was a more enjoyable experience with Aziza Ward around because she lit up their world.


End file.
